“Courage is being brave enough to do what you should even when you are afraid.”
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying I will try again tomorrow.” These are common quotes that come up when googling the word “courage.”
I’ve wanted to examine and explore the meaning of courage for a while and the turning point has arrived. I celebrated my 43rd birthday recently and simultaneously realized how transient life really is and how each and every one of us are experiencing different challenges all the time, some highs and some lows. It never gets easier, just different and age definitely makes us wiser, but developing the quality of courage is a character trait that is absolutely necessary to assist in facing your fears and living a life that is true to you.
For me, birthdays are a time of reflection and the opportunity to do a kind of audit or stock take of my life. Am I being the person I want to be? Am I moving forward and getting closer to achieving my true potential in my personal and professional life? What really matters to me right now? Do I have the courage to take action and create new habits, set new goals and stretch myself? Am I living according to my values and beliefs?
So what is courage and what does it mean to me?
It has a lot to do with just about everything that is worthwhile in life. It is defined in the dictionary as the ability to do something that frightens one, bravery, strength in the face of grief, the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.
In a nutshell, my personal definition can be summed up as facing your fears and taking action towards living a life that you love, your dreams and discovering your brilliance.
Do any of these definitions of courage resonate with you? This is just an opening to help you uncover what courage means to you and discover your own personal definition of courage.
- Feeling fear and choosing to Act
- Following your heart
- Persevering in the face of adversity
- Standing up for what’s right
- Letting go of the familiar
- Facing difficulties and suffering with dignity and strength
Conquering the concept of courage and knowing what courage means to you and your life is the first step to developing the quality of having courage.
This month’s mantra is by John Wayne:
“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”
It takes courage to show up and become who you really are.
Have you got what it takes?